A 91-year-old stroke patient who waited nearly 19 hours for an ambulance in the East of England was among 22 cases investigated by an external review which found no one died “as a direct consequence” of long delays, HSJ has learned.

East of England Ambulance Service Trust’s deputy chief executive and nursing director has announced he is to retire in April, meaning the trust’s two most senior clinical directors have left in recent months.

PERFORMANCE: An ambulance service’s use of shared electronic patient records has helped avoid more than 2,000 accident and emergency admissions this financial year in Kent, local commissioners have estimated.

PERFORMANCE: South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust is predicting a reduced performance rating from Monitor after a surge in 999 calls over winter and a large increase in the length handover delays.